


So, what is it, then?

by BloomingMiracle (Luna264)



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Blood and Injury, Gen, Injury, Injury Recovery, Minor Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts), post kh3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:53:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22127455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna264/pseuds/BloomingMiracle
Summary: Roxas looked up from aimlessly scrolling through Kingstagram as Riku entered the dimly lit room, sitting down on the chair next to the bed.“What the hell was that?” Riku asked.Roxas laughed, although the sound was weaker than he would have liked it to be. “Sora would have been devastated if you’d died before we got him back.”
Relationships: Riku & Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 42





	So, what is it, then?

**Author's Note:**

> This fic relies on two headcanons I have about Nobodies (and briefly mentions one of them also applying to Replicas). Roxas explains one of them but the other is just sort of side eyed so uh
> 
> Nobodies' physiologies and physical states (ie how their bodies work and what injuries they might have) are based entirely on what they think they should be like. If a Nobody doesn't think something will kill them, it won't. However, they can also die of thinking something should kill them. They might bleed, but have no pulse, if they know what bleeding is but not that it generally implies a heartbeat.
> 
> now u know

Roxas looked up from aimlessly scrolling through Kingstagram as Riku entered the dimly lit room, sitting down on the chair next to the bed.

“What the hell was that?” Riku asked.

Roxas laughed, although the sound was weaker than he would have liked it to be. “Sora would have been devastated if you’d died before we got him back.”

“Well, he’s not gonna be too pleased to find out about  _ this _ either, you know,” Riku pointed out. “I could have handled that hit, I’m not made of glass.”

“No, you’re not,” Roxas agreed. “Neither am I. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but cure spells haven’t exactly been working on me. Something was weird about that bullet.”

“Theoretically,” Riku said. “Shouldn’t you just be able to  _ think _ yourself better? You’re still a Nobody, aren’t you? I mean, you’ve got the teeth.” He pointed at Roxas’ mouth as he spoke, and Roxas looked away from him.

“It’s a little hard to believe,” Roxas said. “You know, with a half closed hole in my side and no MP whatsoever? I can’t exactly ignore that.”

Riku looked at him for a long moment, long enough to make Roxas nervous. Finally, he spoke. “That wasn’t the real reason, was it?”

Roxas considered denying it, but there wasn’t really a point. Besides, it wasn’t like Sora was around to get embarrassed.

“I have… imprints of Sora’s feelings,” He said finally. “Namine and Xion do, too, and we all talked about it with him after we were all back.”

“This is the first  _ I’m _ hearing about this,” Riku said, a little skeptically.

“Yeah, because Sora didn’t want people asking  _ us _ about his feelings,” Roxas said. “If it was something he wanted shared, he’d share it himself, which is a pretty decent policy.”

Riku nodded.

“But, uh,” Roxas said. “Sometimes they… leak in. Influence our actions, even our thoughts, maybe. It’s less likely, and less intense, when we’re around each other. Namine says it didn’t happen at all when she was around him at Castle Oblivion, but  _ I _ wouldn’t know.”

“So, that was one of those times?” Riku asked.

Roxas nodded. “Yeah, Sora’s massive crush on you prompted me to get half my lower torso blown out. He owes me an apology.”

“What,” Riku said.

“Hm?” Roxas looked at him, genuinely perplexed.

“His  _ what _ ?” Riku amended.

Roxas blinked. “You… didn’t know?”

“No, I didn’t,” Riku said. “If I  _ did _ , I would have asked him out after we  _ foreclosed  _ your old job.”

“Oh,” Roxas said. “Huh. Well, this is awkward.”

“You’re telling me,” Riku said.

“I guess Sora doesn’t owe me an apology, actually,” Roxas said. “I think we’re even.”

“I’ll let you two work that out when he gets back.” Riku stood. “I’m gonna… go, now. You aren’t actually open for visitation, I just snuck in here to get an explanation.”

“I was wondering where everyone else was,” Roxas said. “Hey, can you get someone to change my bandages? They’re kinda gross.”

“Kairi threatened to thundaga anyone who bothered you,” Riku said. “So, I’m not exactly keen on confessing to breaking in specifically to bother you.”

“Ugh,” Roxas said, somehow managing to flop further into the bed without sitting up in any way. “It’s  _ gross _ , though.”

“Look, you can ask someone who’s been within ten feet of any sort of medical text when they get back from Yuffie’s distraction,” Riku said. “I really should be going, so that I don’t, like, die and stuff.”

Then Riku turned, and walked swiftly towards the door.

“Riku,” Roxas said, pitching his voice  _ just _ so. He couldn’t match Sora’s timber, but the inflection came just as naturally to him as his own.

It  _ was _ dirty pool, and something Sora would never have done if their positions had somehow been reversed. But if there was one thing Roxas was sure about, it was that he wasn’t Sora.

Riku stiffened.

Roxas shifted back to his regular sound. “I have spent the last week being treated like a glass potato that is full of juice. It  _ sucks _ . It’s a lonely way to interact.”

Riku didn’t say anything.

“I don’t want to be alone.”

“I know,” Riku said, and returned to the seat he’d vacated. “It’s… It hurts to be alone, huh?”

Roxas was quiet for a long while.

For a minute, Riku thought he was asleep, but the boy turned to him as he began to stand.

The two looked at each other for a long moment.

Riku sat down.

“You remember what Ventus said, about his and Vanitas’ hearts being with Sora for so long?”

“Yeah.”

“Ven stuck with me, when Sora released his and Kairi’s hearts,” Roxas said. “And even after coming back here and now, we’ve been sharing a room. This week-- it’s the first time I’ve ever been  _ alone _ .”

“Mm,” Riku said awkwardly. “I’ll, uh, talk to them about letting people visit, huh?”

“It’d be nice.” Roxas’ voice was fading. He hadn’t realized that talking took  _ energy _ before.

“Get some sleep,” Riku said. “I’ll be back. I’ll-- I’ll drag Sora back, too. Before you know it. You two deserve a chance to properly talk.”

“Thanks,” Roxas muttered, and the world slipped away.

Riku tucked him in a bit better, resisting the urge to check his pulse (they hadn’t discussed heart rates, so Riku had no idea if he’d actually have one, even if he’d been in top condition), and gently pried the gummiphone (locked from inactivity) from its owners hands and placed it on the nightstand.

Then he left.

He had a promise to fill, and possibly a best friend to ask on a date.


End file.
